The African Union (AU) chairman Boni Yayi on Monday urged African political leaders to improve the political, economic and financial governance of the continent to guarantee its development."Long considered as a continent bedevilled with instability, misery and conflicts, Africa today appears as the continent of the future, carrying hope because of its strong economic growth in spite of the international financial crisis,” the AU Chair who is also the president of Benin said. He was speaking in Cotonou during the opening of the 19th session of the Forum for Partnership with Africa. The president said that to achieve the improved political, economic and financial governance on the continent, every African will have to make a contribution either individually or collectively.The current AU chairman said there was also need to overcome certain challenges, especially those concerning stability, peace and security, without which development is not possible.

He appealed for inclusive economic growth, by addressing agricultural and green economy challenges as well as achieving effective economic integration which is only possible when there are proper infrastructures like railway lines, ports, airports, roads as well as energy and telecommunication infrastructure.  

"All these challenges cannot be overcome if Africa is not determined to fight against issues such as corruption and impunity, and to reinforce good governance practices,” Yayi concluded.